Cape Coral pool business makes splash in the community
Kristie Larsh and Kate Richard’s residential pool cleaning and maintenance business launch was delayed for a little more than one month by Hurricane Ian. Yet, they dove in and did extraordinary work during that period.
The longtime friends and Cape Coral residents, originally from Sarnia, Ontario (near Toronto), moved south in late 2021 and planned to launch the Cape Coral Pool Scouts franchise on Oct. 1. Larsh’s sister Connie and brother-in-law Chris had also moved south and started the Fort Myers Pool Scouts franchise last April with Larsh and Richard helping out. The foursome’s efforts reached new levels due to the unorthodox and emergency needs of pool owners throughout our area right after the disaster.
“They needed us even more with all of the extra work that had to be done,” Larsh recalled.
An entire section of a roof was in a client’s pool in Punta Gorda. “We had to get in it to take out all of the plywood and shingles,” recalled Larsh. “Sometimes, using nets and brushes while walking alongside isn’t enough!”
Lanai roof elements and furniture, tree branches and clothing were in some pools; a boat (not the homeowner’s) was in another. “They had to get a company with a crane to remove it,” said Richard.
While vacuuming out debris from a pool in Cape Coral, a next-door neighbor saw their parked business van and asked if they could repair his pool’s salt cell chlorine generator. Richard was able to fix and reset its panel.
“I went right over and did it for free,” said Richard.
“Some people had pool cracks and leaks that had to be fixed and treated or resurfacing and other repairs,” said Larsh.
Right after Ian, they advised those that took on swell water, with its potentially dangerous levels of bacteria, to drain and refill. “We were happy to support other businesses by providing referrals for this,” said Larsh.
“We didn’t want customers getting sick,” said Richard.
Currently, Larsh handles most of the sales, scheduling and administration along with minor repairs, while Richard is nearly always in the field doing servicing plus some marketing. Regular weekly services by Pool Scouts, which has 110-plus franchises in 17 states, include cleaning, testing of chemicals and monitoring and maintaining equipment.
“We’ve had many different pool companies in the eight years we’ve been in the Cape,” said Lisa Anthony, who along with her husband, Jeff, is a client. “They reached out to us proactively right after Ian to offer to do a free check of our pool which we really appreciated. They are 100 percent reliable.”
Reflecting on the unusual work early on, “We don’t want to go through it again, but it was great to help out the community,” said Richard. “It was a learning experience. For some, we were able to at least give them a clear pool so they could look out onto it amidst so much other damage.”
They also offer a Pool School for clients that includes informing on the importance of running the pool pump and ways to reduce algae growth. “It’s all about the proper use of all of their equipment,” added Larsh.
For more information, call 239-893-3921 or visit poolscouts.com/capecoral.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral pool business makes splash after Hurricane Ian
